Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has selected BMW Group, DesignworksUSA, to create its “Fleet of the Future” new generation of train cars.

The BART train cars are meant to enhance the quality of life for future public transit and are expected to be in operation by 2017

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is the fifth largest all-rail train system in the USA. Every weekday 335,000 customers ride BART, which operates the oldest fleet of train cars which began picking up customers in September 1972.

“We are passionate about creating innovative solutions for mobility in increasingly dense urban centers such as the Bay Area, and we are excited as our collaborative partnership with BART gets underway,” said Laurenz Schaffer, president, BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

DesignworksUSA’s scope of work for BART includes the train cars’ exterior, which will convey a style and shape with unique signature expression to the exterior passenger information system.

It will also create the main interior design features of the new train cars, and incorporate the controls in the design of the train operator’s cab.

BART’s mission is to provide commuters with a viable alternative to driving, and DesignworksUSA’s expertise creating premium design and user experiences not only in the train category, but in the aviation and automotive categories, was a key differentiator that led to its selection for this project.